Gene measurement apparatus

Abstract

A gene measurement apparatus includes: a temperature control block that is provided with, on its upper surface, a plurality of reaction vessel wells each being used to house a reaction vessel, and that performs temperature treatment on a specimen in the reaction vessel by controlling temperature of the plurality of reaction vessel wells using a heating element or a cooling element; and a reaction vessel detector configured to detect whether the reaction vessel is housed in each of the plurality of reaction vessel wells of the temperature control block before the temperature treatment is started.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A gene measurement apparatus comprising:
 a temperature control block that is provided with a plurality of reaction vessel wells on an upper surface of the temperature control block, each of the plurality of reaction vessel wells being used to house a reaction vessel, and that performs temperature treatment on a specimen in the reaction vessel by controlling temperature of the plurality of reaction vessel wells using a heating element or a cooling element; and   a reaction vessel detector configured to detect whether the reaction vessel is housed in each of the plurality of reaction vessel wells of the temperature control block before the temperature treatment is started.   
     
     
         2 . The gene measurement apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising an optical sensor that performs optical detection on each of the plurality of reaction vessel wells,
 wherein the reaction vessel detector is configured to determine whether the reaction vessel is housed in each of the plurality of reaction vessel wells in accordance with a detection signal of the optical sensor with respect to each of the plurality of reaction vessel wells.   
     
     
         3 . The gene measurement apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a display that displays information; and   a reaction vessel housing position display configured to display, on the display, a position of a reaction vessel well in which the reaction vessel detector has detected that the reaction vessel is housed, before the temperature treatment is started.   
     
     
         4 . The gene measurement apparatus according to  claims 1 , further comprising:
 a measurement conditions setting part configured to cause a user to set measurement conditions for an arbitrary reaction vessel well of the plurality of reaction vessel wells; and   a reaction vessel position determination part that determines whether a position of the arbitrary reaction vessel well for which the measurement conditions have been set by the measurement conditions setting part matches the position of the reaction vessel well in which the reaction vessel detector has detected that the reaction vessel is housed, before the temperature treatment is started.   
     
     
         5 . The gene measurement apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the reaction vessel position determination part is configured to issue a warning to the user, when the position of the arbitrary reaction vessel well for which the measurement conditions have been set by the measurement conditions setting part does not match the position of the reaction vessel well in which the reaction vessel detector has detected that the reaction vessel is housed.